Automatic candy cane crooker



March 25, 19.58

AUTOMATIC CANDY CANE CROCKER Filed June 11'. 195e 2 sheets-sheet 1 g i /f E@ I v v /7 /Ik #Mig/Ogm# w. H. GENICH 2,827,862 f March 25, 1958 w. H. GENICH 2,827,862

AUTOMATIC CANDY CANE cRooxER f Filed June 11, 1956 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2 AUTOMATICCANDKCANE.CRODKER 1-William H. Genich,vRacine,`fWis.,-assgnor to`Racne Confectioners: Machinery "C0.,'.Racine,'Wis., a :corporation of Wisconsin Application June 11,19,s6,:seriiNasaoss Claims. (Cl.` 107-8) YThe inventionhere. disclosedrelates tothe manufacture Aof candycanes.

`candy .stick crook `forming mechanism, which will operate `rapidly and continuously, without slowing `down Vproduction of .the candy sticks.

Other desirable objects and the novel features through which .the purposesof the inventionareattained are set forth and will appear inthecourse .of the followingspecification.

Thedrawings accompanying and -forming,part of the specification illustrateajpresent commercial vembodiment ff;

of the invention, but structure may be modified and changed as regards immediateiillustration, without departure fromthe true spirit and scopebf the invention as hereinafter dened and claimed.

Fig. linthe-d'rawings is a-broken and vertical\secf il `tional -viewl of the Acandy -stick conveying and bending conveyor, arranged to receive candy sticks from the rolling conveyor and to deposit the completed articles on a takeolf conveyorthis view taken substantially on the plane of line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a broken transverse vertical sectional view as on substantially the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken plan view on substantially the plane of line 3 3 of Fig. 1, illustrating pro gressive stages in the travel and crooking of the candy sticks.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View as on substantially the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 2, illustrating engagement of one of the bender sprockets with the upper set of turning pins.

In Fig. l, the end of a rolling conveyor lis indicated at 7, carrying the sticks or ropes 8, of candy.

This rolling conveyor is usually made up of a series of rollers 9, travelling over sprockets and revolvingto 5 keep the warm pliable candy sticks straight and round and in separated relation.

Further, this stick rolling conveyor may be directly associated with a twisting and cutting machine, taking the sticks as they are cut olf and carrying them direct to the cane crooking section.

The cane crooking unit is shown as made up of a series of transverse plates or slats 10, carried `by chains 11, riding on sprockets 12, 13, andrcarrying transverse channels or troughs 14, for fthe sticks of candy.

These trough-like holding members are shown as having upwardly and outwardly inclined sides 15, cooperative with the surrounding arcuate guide 16, at the end of the rolling conveyor, to guide the sticks smoothly into the channels.

Each of the cross slats or plates 10, carries a rotative bender 17, at one end of the stick holding channel there- "ice on, this .bender being shownas a roll journalled on .a stud 18on` asegmental` plate .19, fixed` on the upper end of a rock shaft 20, Fig. 3.

The rotative segment 19, carrying the bender roll is 5 shownin .Fig..3, as disposed at the end-of and i-n line with the bottomof the stick supporting channel and with `the bending roll separated from the outer rroll circumference 2l, vof .the,shaft.20, by a ,distance equal toor '.slghtly greater .than fthe Width of the channel, Vso that 10 as. showninfthe lower pontionofFig. 3, the candy stick may freelyfdropinto the channel and between the hub 21,.and.bendi`ng roll 17,withtheprojecting portionof .thestick restingonthe segmental plate portion 19'ofthe bender.

In the. operation of themachine, Ithe segments. carrying .the bendingrolls are oscillated rst one way and then in the oppositedirection, soas to be in line with the endsof .the channels when they pass beneath the end of the rol-lingconveyonFig. 1, and so as to bend or 20 crookthe ends of thesticks about the hubs 21, as lthey travelon away from the endof the roller conveyor.

The means, for effecting these lining up and stick bending movements of the benders comprise in the illustration Asprockets.22,on the lower or inner ends of shafts `2l), cooperative with a lower row of turning pins 23, at one side of the path `of .sprocket travel Fig. 2, and an upper rowof turning pins 2,4, attheopposite side of the sprocket .path of movement. i

InqFig. .3, 4the lower stick holder, the one nearest to .the supplyconveyor, with the bender in line with the Ltransversechannel or holdingpocket is indicated as hav- ,Iing received a candy stick S. .22,.on the.v lower end of the bender shaft 2t), is about to engage the turning pinsli, of the upper row.

Fig. 4 shows the sprocket, in the further forward travel of-.thevconveyon `as in ,engagement with upper turning 1pins.24, andas beingrotated right-handedlyin the direc- Y,tion ,of the arrowtofrotate the bending roll `lt'lasshown .attheopjin `l?i g..3, tocurl the projecting end of the 40 stick about the center hub 2'1.

As the chains 11, carrying the benders travel about the outer sprockets 13, as shown at the right in Fig. l, the completed candy canes are dropped on'to a take-oft" or removal conveyor 25.

During travel in the opposite direction, that is, toward the supply source, the lower run of the conveyor carries the bender sprockets into engagement with the lower row of turning pins 23, at the opposite side of the sprocket path of ftravel and this effects turning of the benders in the reverse direction, back to the position shown at the left hand end of Fig. 1, with the bender rolls lined up with the sides of the pockets ready to receive the straight lengths of candy.

In action the bender rolls have a tendency to drag the candy stick lengthwise of the holder channels. To overcome this creeping effect, the sticks are positively held down in the channels during the crooking operation, in fthe illustration, by an overrunning belt 26, of sponge rubber or the like, bearing down lightly on the sticks.

To permit this action, the channels are shown cut down in their intermediate portions at 27, to enable the lower run of the belt to engage the sticks.

The crooking mechanism, that is the conveyor with Vthe benders may be made up in a unit construction aft- 65' tachable as such to the end of the rolling conveyor frame.

Thus units designed for diierent size candy canes may be used at different times with the same supply conveyor. These crooking units may be designed to run at the same speed as the twisting and cutting machine and the stick rolling conveyor, so as not to slow down the production of such machines.

The crooking unit is of simple sturdy construction,

In this position, the sprocket easily cleaned and kept in running order. The pins for turningthe bender sprockets constitute in eiect, a rack and the length or extent of such racks may be varied by usingdiierentntunbers of pins. VThebending rolls and VV'the hubs about which the candy sticks are bent maybe of material, or faced with materiahsuch as nylon, to which the candy will `not adhere. p

What is claimed is l, Automatic candy cane crooker, comprising the cornbination of an endless belt conveyor, transversely extend- `ed stick candy receiving pockets carried by said conveyor,

circular hubs at the ends of and tangential to sides of said pockets, crook bending rolls at opposite sides of said pockets, means for rotating said bending rolls, circularly about the centers of said hubs in the 'travel of said endless conveyor, including segmental levers journalled on said hub centers at the ends of said pockets and carrying said bending rolls7 shafts carrying said segmental levers at one end, sprockets on the opposite ends of said shafts and stationary rack elements engageable stick benders on the upper ends of Ysaid shafts normally positioned to one side of said holders, sprockets on the lower ends of said shafts and rack members engageable by said sprockets in the travel of said conveyor chains and positioned to turn said sprockets in one direction for eecting candy stick bending movement of said benders and for then restoring said benders to said normal position a=t one side of said candy stick holders.

4. The invention according to claim 3, in which said benders have candy stick supporting plates in line with the bottom portion of said holders whereby to support projecting portions of the candy sticks while the same are being bent bysaid benders.

rollscircularly about the centers of said hubs in the travel 0f said endless conveyor, including segmental levers journailed on said hub centers at the ends of said pockets and carrying said bending rolls, shafts carrying said segmental levers at onecend, sprockets on the opposite ends orf said shafts, stationaryV rack elements engageable by said sprockets in the travel of said conveyor, with one rack element located at a higher level and disposed to one side of the path of travel of said sprockets and another rack element located at a lower level and at the opposite side of the path of travel of said sprockets.

3. Automatic candy cane crooker comprising the combination of horizontally disposed endless conveyor chains traveling in parallel relation, cross slats carried `by said chains, candy stick holders on said slats, upright shafts journalled on said slats at the ends of said holders, candy 5. The invention according to claim 3, with a hold down belt operating over the upperrun of the conveyor chain in position for riding engagement with candy sticks supported in the holders. Y

6. The invention according ,to claim 3, in which said holders are in the form of open top channels cut down Vat the sides to expose ripper portions ofvcandy sticks supported Vtherein and in which a hold down belt is mounted over the conveyor chains in line with said cut down sides of said channels for confining candy sticks in the channels during the crook bend-ing operation.

7. Automatic candy cane crookercomprising the combination of an endless conveyor, transversely extended candy stick receiving pockets on rsaid conveyor, crook benders journalled on said conveyor at the ends Vof said pockets in position to engage protrudingportions of candy sticks located in said pockets, sprockets connected with said'benders and stationary racksk mounted in position to be engaged by said sprockets in the travel of said conveyor and disposed to opposite sides of the bender line of travel for turning said benders first in one direction and then in the opposite direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Y 1,762,327 Coffey nmso, 1930 1,836,349.V Y Westereld Dec'. 15, 1931 

